


And Then There Were Four

by PenguinMasquerade



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Twins, Anxiety, Existential Crisis, Family, Gen, Headaches & Migraines, also terra is ven & vani's older brother, but roxas & sora grew up together same with ven & vanitas, but sora & vani are actually twins same with roxas & ven, congrats sora u now have a cryptid brother, is there a tag for this au idk, my way of combining the different twin aus for these characters, switched at birth au, tags those Just In Case, very slow updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2019-10-14 08:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17504921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenguinMasquerade/pseuds/PenguinMasquerade
Summary: ‘You’re still my brother,’ He remembers saying, nudging the other with his elbow, ‘Some dumb blood test doesn’t change that.’‘Yeah? Try to remember that the next time I piss you off.’-OR in which Ventus & Vanitas grew up together as twins, as well as Sora & Roxas, but two of them were accidentally switched with the other at birth.





	1. The Beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> So! I've had this idea for a while.  
> Basically I've always loved Ven & Vanitas twin aus along with Sora & roxas twin aus. Because there are people who have the opposite combo (Sora & Vanitas as twins, with Roxas & Ventus as twins) I thought this would be a fun thing to write and combine both aus!
> 
> It's been a long time since I've written any fic, I've mainly stuck with tumblr rp for a while for other fandoms so I hope this turned out okay!

-

“Napkins. There are too many napkins and spoons, yet not enough forks.” A sigh escaped him as he counted the remaining silverware, ones that weren’t yet folded inside any napkins for presentation. “You’re lucky, sitting at home while its storming and i’m wrapping up utensils..”

A laugh from his phone was the response he got, and the sound crackled. Probably from the weather. Probably from it being on speaker. Though, most likely a combination of both. “Come on Sora, it could be worse. You could have been put on dish duty.”

A groan escaped him as he let his head hit the counter with a  _smack_. “But Riku, it’s so  _boring_ right now. No one  _ever_ goes to restaurants in this weather...at least not ones on the beach....”

“Okay, okay, but it’s not like you’re working late. We still have plans with Kairi later, so there’s that to look forward to.” A pause, “Is it really that empty right now? You’re really allowed to be on the  _phone_ right now?”

“Uh. Yeah.” Sora lifted his head, taking another glance at the tables around him. All empty. “No one is here...and all the rain is making it gloomy.” And making  _him_  sleepy. God...if only they were closed today. “I mean, there were a few people this morning....but no one else has been here since..” 

“That’s really sad, actually.” He heard his friend yawn, and Sora held back the urge to do so as well. “Though I’m surprised your boss is letting you talk on the phone right now.”

“Honestly? He’s not here right now. But I don’t think he’d care either way.” He was lucky to have a laid back boss like Hanekoma. He was a pretty cool guy, and as long as Sora was doing his work, as long as they weren’t busy, he didn’t really care about stuff like this. “It’s a ghost town right now anyways, so it’s not like i’m slacking off or anything.”

He got the job pretty easily. Sora, along with Kairi and Riku would frequent this restaurant often. They already lived close by and were at the beach enough, so why not right? (Not to mention he was pretty friendly and good with people.) Besides, it was a good summer job. He could save up some money before going back to school.

“Hey I know! You should come here and keep me company!”

Riku had the audacity to scoff at that. “And leave the comfort of my own home? On a day like this? Nice try, but not happening. It’s not like we're not hanging out later anyways.

The other couldn’t see Sora, but he frowned at his phone anyways. “It was worth a shot..” Then immediately after, the bell of the door rung as a set of customer’s came in. He sat up, and was grateful that there was something to do.

He and Riku exchanged quick goodbye’s and ‘ _see you later’s!’_ before Sora quickly grabbed a set of menu’s and greeted the newcomers.

-

By the time his shift ended, it was three in the afternoon. The rain didn’t get any lighter, but the thunder seemed to be less intense than it was earlier.  Even though it’s been raining all day, Sora didn’t have an umbrella on him. Call him forgetful, irresponsible or whatever, but it’s not his fault that he just couldn’t  _find_  it.

As expected, the beach by his workplace was empty. The boardwalk he was on only consisted of one or two people entering a shop for shelter, or a worker leaving for the day. So here he was, jacket pulled over his head as he ran down the walk without having to worry about bumping into anyone.

Riku was picking him up. Sora knew he’d probably already be there, and easily spotted his car as he got to the parking lot. (Thankfully, he was parked closest to the walk.)

With that, Sora went over to the car, opened the back door, and quickly got inside.

“Geez,” Riku groaned, “It’s times like this I wish I had leather seats, you’re  _soaking.”_

“Really?  _I haven’t noticed.”_ He quipped back.

“Hey, come on now.” Kairi lightly chided from the passenger seat. _“You_ chose this car in the first place Riku.”

“I just said sometimes I  _wish_. I like this car. So yes, I know I chose it.”

She let out a small laugh then turned to look at Sora, giving him a warm smile. “Was work okay?”

Riku didn’t start the car until he heard the click of Sora’s seat belt being put on. Sora returned the smile, but quickly sighed at the question. “It wasn’t  _bad_. I just almost fell asleep like.....three...four times?”

“Meanwhile  _I_ got to nap all day.” Riku mocked. Sora could see the smug look on his face in the mirror’s reflection as he backed out of the parking space.

“Hey! Don’t rub it in you jerk!” If the car wasn’t moving, Sora would have shoved him. “You just have to rub salt in my wounds..Kairi....help me..”

She giggled at their exchange, and Sora let out a whine. “Are you laughing at my pain?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“Not you too..” He feigned pain, bringing his hand up to his chest and resting his forehead on the back of the seat in front of him. “Betrayed by both of my friends..”

“Hey, drama queen.” Riku called back as he pulled onto the main road. “Your house first for dry clothes or the store for snacks. You have about 40 seconds until the supermarket.”

Ah. That’s right. They all decided to go grab things they liked together when Sora’s shift ended. What’s a movie night without snacks? He contemplated for a moment, and the most logical (and least time consuming) would be the store, then home,  _then_  over to Kairi’s for movies. But...he didn’t know if he wanted to go shop like this.. “I don’t mind the store first, as long as it’s quick.”

With that, Riku pulled into the turning lane and into another parking lot, choosing a space as close to the store front as he could.

It should be relatively painless right?

As they entered the market, Sora bumped shoulders with a young woman as she was exiting. She and the man she was with were both soaked to the bone as well, shivering from the AC. “Ah! Sorry!”

She reassured it was okay, while the other called over his shoulder, “Stay out of the frozen section, you’ll freeze to death!”

He felt better knowing that he wasn’t the only one drenched.

-

As they drove to Sora’s house, his clothes made almost zero progress in drying on the way. Despite that, Kairi insisted that he use her umbrella to avoid anymore rain on his way inside. It’d be better than getting rained on even more, so he accepted.

“I’m home!” He called out as he opened the door, setting Kairi’s umbrella against the frame and taking his shoes off. It wouldn’t do much keeping him from dripping water as he walked, but it was better than nothing.

He didn’t get a response, but he could faintly hear his brother and father talking as he reached the base of the staircase.

“That can’t be right.” Leon said, voice growing clearer as he made his way up. “You would have to be AB, A, or B. You can’t be an O. That’s not possible.” 

“But we can’t really argue with results..”

“That’s what makes this strange.”

Sora’s brows furrowed in confusion. This was.....quite the conversation to walk in on. He followed the voices to his brother’s room and nudged the already cracked door open the rest of the way, tapping it a few times with his knuckle. “Knock knock!”

“Hey,” His dad greeted, already leaning against the far wall by the desk Roxas was sitting at. “Didn’t hear you come in. How was work?”

“The place probably flooded with how you look.” Roxas teased, chin rested on his hand, elbow on desk.

That got him an unamused laugh and a pout.  _“No,_  I only forgot my umbrella.” He paused, “Riku and Kairi already poked fun at me for it, so  _you_  don’t have to.”

Roxas raised his hands up in defense. A smile plastered on his face, “Hey! I didn’t say anything.”  _‘But I was going to,’_  however, was left unsaid.

“Anyways,” His head tilted in curiosity, eyes flickering back and forth from the two of them. “What were you two talking about? Blood types? This is about the blood donations right?”

Leon sighed and nodded. It seems his question caused the mood to shift. The air in the room went back to the same confused (and concerned) tone it was Sora overheard. “The doctor said Roxas is an O.”

That statement didn’t explain anything at all. “...And...that means what?”

“Your mother had A, and I’m AB. It doesn’t add up...or it shouldn’t, that is.”

The look on his face must of told them he still didn’t get it, causing Roxas to speak up. “Basically,” he paused, turning his chair to face Sora more. “AB and A blood types can’t have children with O blood types.”

“And because of that, the results are either wrong, or... I don’t know.” Leon scratched his head, taking a moment to think. “I guess I could have been wrong about what your mom had. But I’m positive that was it.”

“Oh.” Okay, that cleared things up a bit. The AC started to make goosebumps form along his arms. “That’s definitely confusing..”

“Yeah well,” Leon waved it off, and pushed himself off from the wall to stand straight. “We can just consult him again if you want, especially if you still want to donate, yeah? We’re going to have to be sure.”

His brother nodded, “That sounds good.”

“Yeah, you can also check mine if you want! We’d have to be the same right?”

Leon chuckled and walked to the door, gently nudging Sora’s shoulder with his fist. “We’ll keep that in mind. Now, go get changed, you’ll get sick. Don’t you have plans?”

“Oh! Yeah, Riku and Kairi are still waiting!” He turned and nearly slipped from the water that dripped to the floor. His dad made sure he got his balance back quickly by grasping his shoulders. “I’m okay! I’m okay, thank you!”

“Make sure to be  _careful._  And don’t forget your umbrella this time.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out faster than I thought I'd originally get it out. Besides, I really want to start writing the actual interactions of the four the fic this is centered around so.
> 
> AND My italics didnt save in the first chapter so i'll go back and fix those....eventually.....right after this one is posted....
> 
> I don't know if this calls for a warning but there's a small drug reference/pun at some point but i'm putting it out there just in case.
> 
>  
> 
> Also because I didn't do this last chapter and I have anxiety, your classic fanfic disclaimer being slapped on here aka we all know I do not own this series. Carry on.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“I didn’t think getting  _ice cream_  would be so...hectic.” She sighed as the rain pounded against the car, relieved to be safe from it for the time being. “We drove, what? Over an hour?” Truly, the thought of going so out of the way for a specific flavor- let alone a few different kinds, well, it was something she never saw herself doing until today. 

She stared at the small tubs, resting in a cooler lunchbox set on her lap. they weren’t that big...getting a few felt like the logical option.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Terra said dryly, eyes never leaving the road. His face scrunched up when the sky lit up from lightning, and thunder boomed. “This was supposed to be an easy and simple surprise, and yet..” He trailed off, and gave a small chuckle. “Here we are, soaked, wrinkly, and not even 30 minutes away from home.”

It started to feel like a myth by the time they reached the third store with no luck. Disney Town had very specific flavors, ones you could only get there and no where else. The fact that there actually  _were_  limited time tubs in stores came off as a shock to them at first. As they looked into it, they found out that it was in fact, real. 

_And they were selling out fast._

So what did they decide to do? Find them. Get some for themselves and also surprise the rest of Terra’s family with their favorite flavors. Ventus would be delighted, and even  _Vanitas_  was a sucker for Disney Town ice cream. Everyone was. Even his dad.

Just the thought was baffling. Two young adults on a massive hunt for ice cream, driving through a storm and getting soaked to the bone. It was _laughable_.

If it wasn’t at risk of being sold out, they would have waited another day. A sunny, less  _painful_ (and dry) day to go on a drive like this. She could still feel how cold it was, standing in the frozen section like this. The thought made her shudder. 

But, in the end it was worth it. Aqua couldn’t imagine a more perfectly silly adventure to go on with her best friend than this.

-

They got back to Terra’s place more dry than they were before, both truly relieved to no longer be out and about. 

“Let me  _go._ ”

“Make me.”

_“Vanitas.”_

“Yes?”

Terra sighed when stepping through the door. Of course, of  _course_ those two just had to be fighting. Usually, it just started off as a small squabble. Most of them did, actually. 

He and Aqua found them both in the kitchen- from the looks of it, it must have been a small shoving match that grew into a wrestling one. They saw Ventus struggling to get out of a headlock, and he waved his arm in defeat. “Okay I  _give,_  jeez!”

Vanitas released him, looking smug.

Ventus narrowed his eyes, and jabbed a finger in his direction. “Don’t give me that look- You won this time, so what?”

 _“So,”_  He started, pulling himself up onto the kitchen counter, “winning feels  _good._  Besides, I get to use the car tonight now.”

“To go where? It’s not like you have any friends to hang out with.”

_“Hey-”_

“Terra! Aqua!” Ventus cut him off, finally noticing them. “You were gone for a while! Where were you?”

“It _took_ you long enough to notice us.” Terra teased, ruffling his brother’s hair playfully. 

Ventus frowned and moved his head away, “You didn’t answer my question.”

 _“Well,”_  Aqua piped in when Terra let out a laugh, carrying the cooler bag to a counter that currently  _wasn’t_ being used as a seat. “We got gifts.”

“Huh?!” At that, Ventus immediately ran up to Aqua’s side. He leaned over, trying to see what was in the bag and his eyes sparkled with curiosity. “What? What’d you get?”

“Patience, Ven!”

Vanitas tilted his head, and caught sight as she unzipped the bag. “Oh! Don’t tell me, you got us  _edibles_.”

“Don’t.” Aqua started, voice stern. “Please don’t word it like that.”

Before the other could reply, Ventus shouted in disbelief as he shoved his hands into the bag, causing Aqua to back up in the process. “What? They sell these?!” He pulled out one of the tubs, staring at it in awe. “You got Double Crunch too!”

Ah. There it was. Terra knew that they’d get this reaction from him, and smiled. “We got other flavors too, they’re  _only_ selling these for a limited time. So savor it.”

“Wait, hold on.” Vanitas said, putting his hand up in a stop-like gesture. “You’re telling me that you were out the entire day? For  _Ice Cream?”_

“Who cares!” Ventus nearly leaped into the bag again, rummaging through the other flavors. “Look! There’s even Fabracadabra!”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes, and stared for a moment. To Terra, it looked like he was contemplating on mocking them or not. “Okay,” He started slowly, “You both get a freebie. Pass it here.”

-

It had been nearly two weeks, and Roxas was starting to lose his mind. This all started because of what? A stupid donation he wanted to do? They were going on fairly soon, and he decided what’s the harm? He’d be able to get out of the mid-shift at work to go do it.

He worked at the same boardwalk his brother did- a small ice cream parlor a few shops down with two of his friends. It was nice. He enjoyed it- but  _dammit,_ he hated how busy mid-shifts could be.

During the summer, donations would go on every now and then around the area. He remembered a few of his friends from school giving blood before, but Roxas personally never did it himself.

He wasn’t sure why he never did, but now he was wishing he didn’t even try.

This was supposed to be simple. He’d find out his blood type, go donate, continue on with his summer before going back to school. That’s it.

Things weren’t supposed to turn out to be so  _complicated._

Everything quickly went from a casual,  _‘Hey, what blood type do I have?’_ to  _‘Hey, it shouldn’t be possible for you to have this kind.’_

_It freaked him out._

The things they thought were a mistake, apparently weren’t the issue. His father was correct about his and his mom’s blood types, and the doctor definitely didn’t make a mistake about Roxas’ own. 

The most frightening thing to him, was that his brother’s was apparently type-A.

It was then they were quickly referred to a specialist. Questions were asked, and some were answered. Everything was moving in different directions, changing too fast and bringing up one horrifying thought: Were they even related?

It sounded impossible. It shouldn’t be possible. He had a twin, so how on earth could this even be a possibility to cross anyone’s mind?

Leon advised Roxas that they didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to do. Of course, they all wanted answers.  _Of course,_  they all felt some form of fear about getting them.

However, Roxas knew it’d eat away at them to leave it untouched. They all already got this far, had all these questions brought up- things that couldn’t be buried completely from their minds.

So, through a lot of anxiety bubbling in him, he got the DNA test done.

The results didn’t come in until three days later, and they were asked to come in. To  _come in_  and _discuss_ the  _results._

His anxiety grew, and he fought back the urge to throw up as they sat in the office. His father sitting on his right, and his brother on his left. (Sora wanted to be here, and Roxas was grateful for the comfort his presence brought.)

He could barely see his father’s jaw clench from his peripheral vision, barely feel his hand reach over to squeeze his own- thumb rubbing the side in reassurance. Comfort. 

And he barely noticed when his brother scooted his chair closer, linking his arm around his own when the questions were now answers.

Roxas just tuned out. 

This was not what he wanted to hear.

_This was not what any of them wanted to hear._

“And so,” The women continued, “we have come to believe that the hospital made a mistake.”

He squeezed his dad’s hand back.

“You brought home someone else’s child.”

“And just where,” Leon started, slowly, air tense. Voice stern. “Did this other child end up?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! Things got a little hectic on my end, so I wasn't able to write while juggling work, school projects, midterms, and a cosplay for a con but now I can finally get this chapter out!

“Are you  _instagram stalking_  them?”

The sudden voice made Sora flinch, and he nearly dropped his phone. It was late, he was hungry, and certainly did not expect anyone else to be up. He whirled around to see his brother standing at the kitchen's entrance. Maybe, he would have heard the other’s footsteps if it wasn’t for the loud hum of the microwave.

“Uh.” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and fiddled with the power button of his phone with his other hand- the screen going on and off in the process. “Can you blame me?”

It’s been over a week since the news, and only a few days since the other family was found. Sora was only curious, that’s not a crime right?

Roxas gave him a hard stare, then after a moment shook his head. The lightest of laughs escaped him. “No, I really can’t. Though i’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate you going through all their social media.”

“Hey! They could be doing the same thing to us, you know?” He paused, “And it’s not  _all_. It’s only the one site. Just knowing about it...doesn’t make it feel too real? I kind of had to see it, if that makes sense..”

Only of course, the other nodded. It didn’t really have to be said that he understood- Sora could see it in his eyes. It was all too  _surreal_ to think about. Too hard to wrap their minds around.

Roxas’ expression changed, and he crossed his arms and shifted his weight. He seemed almost  _hesitant_ , uncomfortable, for a moment. It could have been the time of night, but to Sora, Roxas seemed more tired than usual. The stress of the week obviously made him exhausted- and the fact that he was usually asleep by now didn’t seem to help. His eyes flickered from Sora to the phone.

It was all...hard. It made Sora’s heart ache- and the thought of how his brother must be feeling through all of this, made it worse.

And he could see the toll it was taking on him. 

Then, Roxas finally spoke. “Could I.. take a look?”

“Huh? Oh!” Sora fumbled with his cell, nearly dropping it yet again. He still had the account up, so all he had to do was unlock his phone and hand it to him.

Roxas took it and stared for a moment. The look on his face focused, and his lips pursed slightly. Sora moved to peer at the screen as he scrolled. He passed some photos he himself didn’t look at yet- also scrolling  _back_  up to the newer ones as well.

He stopped scrolling, and his thumb hovered over a photo before clicking. It consisted of the other two brothers and two other people, a young man and women- college age, it seemed. From the scenery, they were at an amusement park. The brother with darker hair was holding the camera, and the other was mid-wave at the camera behind.

The last two didn’t seem to notice the camera, as they looked like they were in a conversation when the photo was taken.

“This is...” Roxas started, “Strange. Really strange.”

“Right?” Sora replied, then went to snatch his phone back, “Let me get up his twin’s account- or, yours? His brother, your twin? This is going to be confusing..” His brows furrowed,  and he mindlessly clicked to try viewing tagged accounts as he spoke. “Birthdays are going to be  _insane_  when we all get to know each other- The four of us? Celebrating on one day? Do you think we’ll all spend it toget-  _oh NO.”_

Roxas' eyes widened, the microwave beeped, and Sora could feel panic instantly spreading through him as his brother quickly went to  _shush_  him after his outburst.

“You're going to wake dad up!” he said in a harsh whisper, hands griping Sora’s shoulders, giving him a quick shake as he spoke and peered over at the screen. “Wait- did you just  _follow him?“_

“My finger slipped!”

“Would you be  _quiet?!”_

“Okay-  _okay._ Sorry.”He took in a deep breath, then let it out. He felt Roxas’ grip loosen. “Should I unfollow him? Maybe he won’t notice..”

“That would be like  _telling him_ that you didn’t want him to know you were going through his profile. He’ll get a notification on his phone from this.” With that, Sora groaned in frustration.  “Trust me, that will only  _make_ it strange at this point.” Roxas patted his shoulders in reassurance, then walked over to the fridge. He opened it, and searched around before pulling out a water bottle. “Just, I dunno, keep it the way it is.”

“Yeah...you’re probably right.” He frowned, and the discomfort in his stomach made him remember that he needs to get his food out of the microwave. He should do that.

As he opened the microwave door, Roxas spoke up. “...What do you think they’re going to be like?”

Sora pursed his lips in thought, and hissed when his hands touched the hot plate. “I don’t know,” He replied, flicking his hands to cool them down. “But, they’re our brothers. They have to be cool right? I’m sure their Dad is too.”

Roxas cracked a small smile, “Let’s hope so.. because your  _look-a-like_  looks like a punk.”

“Hey!”

-

Vanitas was anything  _but_  a morning person. He ignored the knock at his door, and his father calling his name. Why does he have to wake up so early? Why can’t he sleep in today? It was summer. He didn’t want to have any obligations. He hated it.

 _“Vanitas,”_ Eraqus said more stern, and he could hear him cracking the bedroom door open. “You have to get ready for the day.”

The lights flicked on, and being the difficult person he was, Vanitas grabbed his pillow and covered his face with it. He muffled a barely audible,  _“Five more minutes...”_ before his father let out a sigh and walked over, the weight of his comforter disappearing.

This was their usual routine. A routine that was most common during the school year- or any other day Vanitas had to be up before noon.

“This is why you shouldn’t stay up so late.”

Vanitas then turned over, curling in on himself. The pillow practically folded around his head to block out as much light as possible. He could feel the other’s frown.

“Is it your head?” Concern laced his voice, and Vanitas could feel the weight of his father on his mattress.

 _“No.”_ He groaned in annoyance, and lazily waved a hand to dismiss the thought. His head wasn’t hurting. Not now- but it was the reason he was up for most of the night. Which, was why he wanted to sleep in. (Then again, he always wanted to sleep in. So that didn’t really matter much.)

“Then, I expect you to be downstairs in a few minutes. You need to eat breakfast before we leave.”

Vanitas spoke again, muttering, but his words apparently weren’t heard. He unfolded the pillow and turned his head- and barely opened his eyes to see Eraqus sitting at the edge of his bed. He fought the urge to yawn, but lost. “I thought I was going to meet you there.  _Later._  With Ventus.”

“Terra’s car was giving him trouble, so he had to use yours and your brother’s car.” Eraqus patted Vanitas’ arm, and let out a small chuckle when he went to turn away again. “You two have to come in earlier with me. “

Vanitas sighed. Of  _course_  this would happen. “Alright,” He rubbed his face as an attempted to wake himself up more.  _“Alright,_  I’ll be down soon..”

 His father seemed to be satisfied with that answer, and the weight on the edge of his bed lifted. He said something Vanitas didn’t catch, nor did he care to know before he was left alone in his room once again.

 With yet another sigh, another yawn, he blindly reached for his phone on his nightstand- and met nothing. It wasn’t there.

 ‘ _Right.’_

 He remembered tossing it across the room that night. A migraine, plus a notification making his phone buzz at the dead hours of night made the action sound like a logical option at the time.

 Yes, he could have turned them off- but it was quicker and more effective to throw it at the time.

 So, he rolled out of bed and spotted it by- well, in his hamper. He was pretty impressed that he managed to do that on accident, and went over to check the time.

  _7:30._ That gives him about, what? Thirty? Thirty-five minutes before they all leave? Okay. Well. That sucks. No getting away with sleeping in for a few more minutes then.

Next, he checked his new notifications. No texts- he only has one person he talks to outside of his family, and she most likely was enjoying summer at it’s finest and  _sleeping._  All that was there was a single follow on Instagram- he didn’t really care much about who followed him, but, the name certainly caught his attention.

_Sora._

 Quickly, he got changed and made his way down stairs.

-

“Think he’s going to hire someone soon?” Vanitas complained as he and Ventus carried out mats, “This is getting annoying.” 

“You know things have been hectic since Xehanort left...” Ventus defended, and unfolded one, while Vanitas helped him straighten it out. “Give Dad a break.”

Vanitas huffed, and dragged the next one over. “You think I don’t know that?” He quipped back, and dropped the dense material on the floor with a loud  _smack._ “I dunno, just maybe someone else helping out would make things less chaotic.”

 _“You_  just want to sleep in.” Ventus frowned, it’s not like he wanted to keep waking up early each day either. However, things didn’t end well with their father’s friend. They co-owned this dojo together- for  _years_ , but...things didn’t end pretty. At all. Now, they have to help out more than they used to since Eraqus took on full ownership.

He feels awful for his dad, but thankful that Xehanort isn’t here anymore.  _Good riddance._

Though, things were...stressful for everyone. They were all still dealing with the aftermath of everything when a few weeks later, they found out that ‘Hey! Your sibling wasn’t supposed to be your sibling! You have a lost twin out there!’ 

It seemed like one thing after another kept happening with their family, and everyone’s nerves were going haywire in different ways. 

He felt like his brother, especially, was about to lose it at some point.

“Oh yeah, what were their names again?”

Ventus blinked, it took him a moment to realize who he was talking about. Talk about a topic change.. “Uhh...Sora and Roxas. Why?”

The other shrugged, and flipped the rest of the last mat open with his foot. “No reason. Just confirming, is all. Maybe we can get them to do this stuff for us.”

With that, Ventus let out a laugh. “Already planning on getting them to do your dirty work?”

“Oh,  _definitely.”_

-

It had been two days, and Sora almost forgot about his social media mishap. Rush hour at work was calming down, and all his mind was on was the thought of going home. 

It was almost time to close, and the restaurant was empty except for him and his coworkers. One of them being one of his friends since the beginning of high school.

“I’m just glad it’s over...who goes out to eat on a _Tuesday_  of all days?” Tidus complained, helping Sora clean up the remaining tables. "And a Tuesday night too..”

Oh.  _Oh_  did he wonder the same thing, “Isn’t it like this every Tuesday..? They all seem to meld together honestly...” He stacked up plates, and Tidus carried the cups. “I thought tonight would be calmer though..”

“Tell me about it!” Tidus practically waved the cups, spilling the drinks they held, and Sora just barely avoided being smacked with them. 

“ _Hey!_  Watch it! I have plates here, y’know!”

His friend let out a laugh and an apology, and they both set the dishes down at the sinks in the kitchen. Sora truly felt pain for the dishwasher tonight..they still weren’t done cleaning up.

The poor guy...

As they started to collect more of the dishes, the bell of the front door ringed, “Sorry, we’re just starting to close.” Sora said, turning and feeling the plates he was holding slip  _out_  of his grasp and shattering on the floor.

The noise made his friend whirl around, and he could hear his boss call out asking if everything was alright. 

 _“Wha- what?!”_ Sora stared in shock and stuttered as he felt his heart in his throat. “But,  _how?”_

The newcomer let out a snicker, and a grin formed on his face. A face that was very familiar to Sora, but one he hasn’t even seen in person yet. “What? I can’t come to say hi to you,  _Brother?”_

Well, at least Sora knows what his long lost twin is like. Absolutely, terrifyingly,  _unpredictable._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @ sora turn your location off or your long lost twin is going to show up out of the blue just to scare u on sight.
> 
> ANYWAYS some extra things:  
> 1) I vaguely mention that Vanitas has 1 friend, that's Namine. The fandom has dragged me into them as a duo thanks ya'll.  
> 2) Xehanort co-owning & running a dojo with Eraqus will be touched on a bit more, but slowly. Being the problem/villian in good ole canon so doing something in this au felt like a good way to add more, and I've been sitting on this since day 1
> 
> ALSO i'm like, reading up & trying to get more familiar with writing anything with a dojo & any kind of sparring so, if anyone has any advice or info to add on or correct please lmk! i'd be very thankful for it especially before I actually write anything in depth!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! It actually was hard writing this chapter, since my mind is way ahead in the story. I had to force myself to sit down and finally get this one done so I can finally start writing what I've really been excited for after they all get situated and meet !
> 
> Disclaimer again bc it never hurts: i dont own kh obviously i just got a lot of feelings abt it. thanks.

It was definitely a drive- a drive Vanitas didn’t plan on making at first. Was it impulsive? Definitely. Did he regret it? Absolutely not.

With the look on Sora’s face, it was definitely the best decision he’s made in the past  _month._

“Seriously _\- what?”_ The other’s mouth hung open, and his coworker scrambled to get a broom for the glass that was now scattered across the floor. 

“Is that all you have to say?” Vanitas replied, palms forward in a mocking gesture as he grinned, “Not a single ‘ _nice to meet you?”_

Sora was about to speak again, when a man walked out from the kitchen in an outfit that very much resembled a bartender. “I swear you kids need to get your hearing checked sometimes. I asked if you’re  _alright.”_

He blinked, eyes looking back and forth from Vanitas to the man, and stuttered. “Uh, yeah- sorry about the plates. Uh-”

The man waved him off, “It’s fine, just be more careful and finish cleaning up.” He eyed Vanitas, then took a glance at Sora, most likely taking a mental note about their similarity. With a shrug, he turned to go back to the kitchen, probably too exhausted to care about asking. Or maybe he just didn’t care at all.

The coworker returned, broom and dustpan in hand. “You know, i’m really tired and want to ask but-” he handed the items to Sora, “I really want to go home.”

Sora nodded, and turned to Vanitas. Obvious discomfort growing. “Uh, can you like...sit down while we finish up? We can talk after..!”

Vanitas decided to comply and sat down at an already clean table. There was no point in disagreeing, so he waited and checked his phone.

3 new messages; one from his (only) friend, who sent him a photo of some of her recent sketches, and the other two were from Ventus.

**[Text; From Ventus.]  
Ven: ** _where r you?_   
**Ven:** _whatever you’re doing, i’m not covering for you again when dad asks -_-_

He rolled his eyes, and went to type up a reply.

 **[Text; To Ventus.]**  
 **Vanitas:**  dw, mini road trip.

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed again.

**[Text; From Ventus.]  
Ven: ** _UGH!_

Before Vanitas could even consider replying to that, Sora came back to the front of the restaurant. He looked a bit more composed now than he did earlier. “I got my tips, so we can leave now!” 

He stood up and stretched his arms as Sora continued, moving to exit the building. “So...not that I’m, like, upset you’re here, but why are you here, exactly? Wait-  _how_  did you even know where I am?”

It was a fair question. Vanitas had no reason to be here, and by Sora’s knowledge,  _shouldn’t_ know where he worked. They stepped out and continued down the boardwalk- empty for the night except for a few shops closing down for the day. 

“You keep your location on when you post. Probably something you should turn off,” was his reply. “I did take a gamble of  _when_  you’d be here, though. Got lucky with that.” He remembered Sora posting selfies in the uniform he was currently in- the logo directly on the front of his shoulder. 

“So, what would you have done if I wasn’t at work?” 

“I dunno, probably get grounded?”

Sora furrowed his brows in confusion, obviously baffled about his response. “And you think you wont get grounded  _now?!”_

Oh god, he wished. He let out a snort at that, “No, I’m not that dumb.” Vanitas said, shaking his head in amusement. “I’m still getting grounded if I get caught. It’s just it’ll be  _worth_  it now.”

They passed by a lost beach ball and turned to go down steps leading to the parking lot. The other looked tired- a mixture of work and most definitely from the fact that Vanitas just decided to show up. “Did you come all the way out here just to freak me out?”

“That, and I was curious.” Of course, scaring him was a big part of it. He knew that if he let the opportunity pass, he’d regret it forever. But his curiosity was strong, and quite frankly he’d rather meet the other without it being the weirdest, most awkward giant family meet-and-greet. He didn’t think he’d be able to take that- and he was sure no one else wanted that either.

This way took at least some of the pressure off. Not all of it, but some. 

“I was just planning on going home, but..” Sora trailed off, and he looked unsure about what to say next.

Vanitas spoke before the other could continue, “Need a ride?”

He looked a bit taken aback by that, but then without another thought, he beamed. “You know what? Sure! It beats walking home any day.”

He raised an eyebrow, not really expecting him to agree so easily. Wasn’t he a bit too trusting, even if they were related? They were still strangers. “You were going to walk home when it’s this dark? Pretty ballsy.”

Sora shrugged, “I live pretty close by. Just across that bridge over there.” he gestured towards the highway, and Vanitas had to squint to see it. To him, it was still a bit away. Then again, he’d gotten used to driving everywhere.

Shrugging it off, he went to his car with Sora in tow.

-

“Do you know when we’re going to meet them?” Roxas knew everyone needed some time- he himself needed tons of it. Despite that, the more time that passed the more anxiety bubbled in him. 

He knew he wasn’t particularly ready for that, but he also wanted it done and over with.

His father sighed, and handed the dish he was just washing for Roxas to dry. “I’ve been in contact with their father.” He paused, as if thinking carefully about what to say next. “We both agree to take things slowly. Let everyone adjust with the news first.”

Roxas dried the dish, and waited for the next one to be given to him. Leon spoke again, “But, another question is, how long  _do_ you want to wait?” It was a question he knew he didn’t have to answer. He was silent, and stared out the the small window in front of them. Leon continued on, “To determine how long...it’s something we all have to talk about. I think that if all of you kids want something different, then you should speak up.”

They were all in this together after all. 

“I think....I want to wait, but, I also don’t want to wait too long either.” 

Leon nodded in full understanding, “We’ll figure it out.”

They stayed in silence for a while after that and nearly finished the dishes when an unfamiliar car drove up to the house. 

Roxas squinted. It was too far to tell who was the one driving, but he recognized his brother as he hopped out of the car and gave a wave to the other.

“Who was that?” His father muttered, and Roxas gave a half-hearted, “No idea.”

His chest however, tightened a little.

The door flung open and Sora yelled, “I’m home!”

“We saw,” Leon replied and craned his neck to get a better view. “New friend? Didn’t recognize that car just now.”

When he asked that, Roxas noticed Sora looked a little bit uneasy. A bit nervous. But he was still keeping up with his bright personality. “Oh! Uh, yeah that! It’s something like that, I guess.”

Leon furrowed his brows and dried his hands on a kitchen towel. Roxas bit the inside of his cheek, and watched as their father turned to Sora. He could tell just like Roxas that something was...a bit off. Sora was never good at hiding anything, really. “Something like that?”

Roxas didn’t have a bad feeling...but it also wasn’t good either. It was strange, full of anxiety like how he’d been feeling the past few weeks.

Sora stumbled over his words, “Uh, yeah! We uh, just met.”

“You got into a car with someone you just met?” His tone and posture got more stern. “Sora, you should have better judgement than that”

“I know! But- I had a good reason!” 

Their father’s brows rose and he waited for Sora to give his answer to his unvoiced question.

Sora’s eyes flickered back and forth from the two of them. It was the look he gave when he was about to say something, something that he was going to feel bad about. It was a look Roxas knew, and his brother finally answered, “It was, Vanitas?” 

It was then they understood, Leon let out a sigh and rubbed his face to relieve any headache that was about to form, and Roxas didn’t know if he himself wanted to laugh or cry.

He didn’t know how he felt. It was a bit funny, considering the events with his brother’s instagram and the conversation he and his dad were just having while doing dishes. 

He understood why his chest tightened, because yes, even if the person was hard to see from the car, it made sense now. They were most likely going to have to meet everyone soon enough after these events.

He understood why Sora gave them that look. How do you reveal something like this to your family? It’s not something any of them would get in trouble for, but, it was certainly a big surprise and would probably plunge everything forward sooner than they originally thought.

“He just kinda...showed up where I work.”

And this time, Roxas  _did_  let out a laugh. “Who-  _who does that?”_

Leon still rubbed at his temples, “You kids....you kids really are going to give me grey hairs.” He stopped though, and glanced at the clock. “You got off pretty late, and they all live what? Two hours away? More if there’s traffic?” He let out another sigh, “It’s too late to be driving that far.”

He shook his head, then turned his concern back to Sora. “Are you feeling okay? You pretty much got ambushed there.”

Roxas himself wondered the same thing- he personally didn’t know what he’d do if his long lost twin just walked into his workplace completely unannounced to meet face to face for the first time.

Even thinking about it was overwhelming.

“I mean...i’m still a bit shocked, but I think i’m fine.” He replied, giving his signature smile, “It’s a bit relieving too? To have that part out of the way at least.”

Roxas was a bit jealous about that. 

Leon then gestured to them both to come over to him, and when they did, he pulled them both into a hug on each side. They returned it, and Roxas lightly smacked Sora’s arm behind Leon’s back when doing so. 

“I want you both to know that, we’re all going to have different levels of boundaries with this.” He started, “The last thing I want is for you to feel rushed or pushed into anything.”

Roxas groaned, and pulled away from the hug. “Please, it’s too late to have a some kind of sappy speech.”

“Hey, I’m serious.” Leon ruffled his hair, and gave him a light nudge. “Now both of you, get some  _rest.”_

Sora was very vocal about how exhausted he was from work after that, and immediately went to go to bed. Roxas followed him up the stairs to go to his own room, tired himself.

Surprisingly, he slept just a little bit easier that night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sister, beta reading this chapter: you went ham on vanitas is he okay
> 
> ANYWAYS! two weeks in a row! that's rare for me! but i did get stuck during the last part, so it was hard to write. either way i'm excited since soon they're all going to meet! hang on tight!

The drive back was probably one of the worst things he’d ever experienced. Vanitas’ luck absolutely despised him sometimes, and every single thing around that involved his head feeling like someone was slowly crushing it, a band that tightened and only got worse with movement.

He couldn’t trust himself to really drive at that point. It was the one problem that consistently kept trying it’s best to ruin his life, and he hated it. Why couldn’t this have happened at a different time?

So there he was, parked on the side of some weird ass road while waiting for Terra (and unfortunately Aqua) to come and drive him the rest of the way home.

At first he was fine- just a light ache, a small prickle forming beside his temples. It was something annoying to push through. It was when the nausea started that he knew he was absolutely  _screwed._

Vanitas knew he was already going to get in trouble with his father for driving all the way out there if he found out about it- Sora definitely seemed like he’d tell his own dad about his little trip, who would then go and tell Vanitas’ dad. Yeah, he’d expect that probably- but now it was going to turn into a whole  _ordeal_ because he was  _definitely_  going to find out now since Terra, and Aqua, definitely couldn’t keep their mouths  _shut._

He could hear his dad now, giving him a lecture before telling him how long he’d be grounded, all mixed with with concern and worry. Yeah, Vanitas didn’t like that. He really hated it when people fretted over him.

He laid there in the back seat, any thought in his head made the pain pulsate. At this time of night, and area, it was rare for a car to pass. When he heard the hum of a vehicle and the glow of headlights behind his eyelids, he wondered if it was them. Or, maybe it was some stranger coming to put him out of his misery. Huh. That wouldn’t be so bad at this point.

However, if he could stop having any thoughts, that’d be  _fantastic._

If he could turn his brain off for a moment, he would have. It would be better than trying to think of  _nothing_ \- which was hard to do because he was still thinking of  _something._

He didn’t regret the trip there- he just regretted not doing it earlier in the day. Maybe if he did he’d already be in the comfort of his own home by the time this episode hit him- maybe it wouldn’t have happened at all. 

Maybe if he did it at another time, he wouldn’t have spotted his biological father and Ventus’ actual  _blood related_   _twin_  through the window when dropping Sora off. He’d be lying to himself if he said it didn’t overwhelm him- but he tried to ignore the discomfort bubbling in his stomach as he drove off. 

Okay,  _yeah,_ that probably contributed to his current state- maybe he shouldn’t have driven Sora home in the first place.

Another hum of a vehicle came by, but this one slowed. The glow that came with didn’t pass, didn’t grow weaker, but stayed strong. It made his stomach churn, and he covered his eyes with his arm to block it out. He heard a door open, then shut, and finally a tap on his own window. “You still alive in there?”

Recognizing the voice, Vanitas gave a half-hearted thumbs up and unlocked the doors with the button on his keys. This time, the door by his feet opened and he felt his brother take the keys from his hand. 

Terra sighed, “I’d ask what you were doing now, but...” He trailed off, most likely frowning. Vanitas could picture it now. “We hit a few bumps on the way here. Just prepare yourself for them okay?”

Instead of replying, he turned onto his side to face the seats. The vibrations of the door shutting made him cringe, and he heard muffled words that must have been Terra telling Aqua something.

Finally, his brother got into the car, and the glow of headlights started to fade right before Terra turned the engine on.

-

“You  _what?!”_ Ventus really shouldn’t have been surprised at this point- but that didn’t mean he was never baffled by some of the things Vanitas chose to do. “ _Seriously?_  God, that’s so  _creepy!”_

“I mean, hey, to be fair, he was going through my Social Media. I had to retaliate  _somehow.”_

Ventus rolled his eyes that. “I can’t believe you sometimes.” He felt pretty bad for Sora- the poor guy was completely unprepared. If that happened to him... well, that would haunt Ven for days; _weeks_  maybe. “Can you blame him?”

“Oh no, not at all.” Vanitas leaned back in his chair, feet on the table in front of them. He tilted the chair onto it’s back legs. “As his  _Long-Lost-Twin_ , I had to make up for years of torment  _somehow._ Besides, aren’t you curious?”

“Not curious enough to get myself  _grounded_ over it.”

His brother scoffed, and Ventus had to restrain himself from pushing the chair off balance. He did have to admit that he was a little bit jealous, having already met his biological twin...he wondered what his own was like. He  _really_ wanted to meet the both of them, though. 

“So... what’s he like?”

“Oh, so  _now_ you want to know?”

“Come on! Just shut up and answer the question!” 

“I can’t shut up  _and_  answer. Make up your mind _._ ” 

Tipping that chair off balance seemed even  _more_  tempting than before. Ventus narrowed his eyes, and Vanitas had that irritating smirk he tended to get. Oh boy, oh boy, that chair was right  _there._ Gravity, _please_  do him  _one_  good favor.

Vanitas then put the chair back down in place. “You’ll find out for yourself soon enough, you know.”

Okay, true, but it still was not fair. Of course he was playing this kind of game to annoy him. He frowned and glanced at the time. “Come on!” Ventus got up, and smacked the other’s arm lightly, “Dad’s going to be upset if we’re late! We have to help close up!”

Vanitas groaned in annoyance, but got up anyway. “Okay, but I’m driving.”

“Uh, no, you are  _not.”_

_“Try me.”  
_

_-_

Every one of the students left, and Terra was relieved; Today was tiring. The past couple of  _weeks_ have been tiring. But, it was the end of the day, and Terra was more than happy to start cleaning up. 

Truly, he enjoyed his time working at his father’s dojo- despite it’s ups and downs, it was something he wanted to continue doing. But today, he wanted more than anything than to finish, go home, and  _sleep._

Terra helped Aqua wipe down the mats before rolling them up. As far as he could tell, she also loved her time here. Working with his best friend made the tiring days  _bearable._

It was something he was thankful for.

_Speaking of thanks..._

“We never really got to talk today about last night,” He started, collecting some of the practice weapons that were used during the day, “I...really appreciate that you helped out, so, thank you.”

She looked at him, almost surprised- but she shook her head lightly, a soft expression forming on her face. “You know you don’t have to thank me for that.” 

_Of course_  that was something she’d say. 

“No, I really do. It was getting late, after all.”

This time, her expression turned into an amused one. Aqua let out a laugh. “You say that like we’ve  _never_  called each other at an even later hour, only to go and grab a late night bite at a  _drive thru.”_ She shook her head even more, but the tiniest of frowns crossed her face, “It’s really no problem, but..” a hint of worry laced her voice. “How is he, by the way?”

Ah. It was really no surprise she’d ask about Vanitas- despite the fact that those two didn’t get along most days, and that he often got on her nerves when they were in the same room- she’d never want harm to come to him. “He’s...better than last night, for sure.” Terra sighed. “But, that doesn’t make it any less concerning. He’s been getting them more often again.”

“Maybe he’s more stressed than he’s letting on.”

It was definitely a fair point. Vanitas never was one to want to show  _any_  form of distress. Never wanting to voice anything that most would feel vulnerable doing. 

Given the circumstances, he had every right to feel like a rug just got yanked out from under him. Terra didn’t know how he’d be able to handle being in his shoes.

“We both know he definitely is.”

As if on cue, the bell on the door rang, which Ventus and Vanitas’ voices soon followed. They were bickering about something Terra didn’t particularly care about.

After they arrived, clean up went by fairly quickly. Their father exited his office sometime after, and the air became more serious. 

“There isn’t really a right time or place to talk about this, but I’d like to speak with all of you.” No one replied, waiting for Eraqus to continue. “I have had some contact with the other family’s father, and given recent events,” he gave a glance towards Vanitas, “There’s no _right_  way to go about this, but there are certainly many _wrong_  ways to.”

Ventus muttered a quiet, _‘told you so’_

“Given these...recent events, it’s definitely clear it’s not good to wait _too_ long.” He paused, “We both think it’s time to start discussing when it’s time to go and get to know each other with everyone, and we’re both going to meet in person to talk more about it as well.”

Terra thought that was smart, and made sense. It was something everyone needs to be in agreement on- however, he’d honestly be okay with what his father and brothers decided on. He thought it should be more up to them.

“So- wait, you’re going to go meet the...other dad first?” Ventus questioned. “Weren’t we all just going to like, meet together?”

Eraqus shook his head, “We both want to be on the same page, and think it’ll be better instead of throwing us all in at once.” 

God, Terra could only imagine the mess it’d be if they didn’t choose to do that first. He shared a glance with Aqua, who he imagined was having the same thought.

“So...soon right?” Ventus spoke again, hesitance mixed with a bit of excitement. 

“Most likely.” Their dad replied, then turned to Vanitas. “Do you have anything you’d like to add?”

He was silent, and shrugged. “Can we go home now?”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know how it was and thank you for reading!
> 
> Also if I got any information wrong about anything don't hesitate to let me know!


End file.
